“I might as well leave it there. I need a new radiator. And probably a new engine, too.”
“I’ll take care of it. After I’m done, I’ll bring it back to you at work. No arguments. After all, you just spent the past hour helping my mom out. We’re friends, right? It’s no big deal to help a friend out.”
I can’t think of anything to say. He’s making it easy for me to accept his help without feeling like a total charity case but it still feels like too much. “I can pay you back. At least for the parts.”
He shakes his head. “You can make me dinner.”
“You drive a hard bargain. I’ll make you dinner if we eat at your mom’s house.”
He looks at me in surprise.
“What? I really had fun today. Plus, I can tell she really enjoys it when you visit. So I’ll cook there if you don’t think she’ll mind.”
“No, she’ll love it. We haven’t had many family dinners lately. First because she wasn’t feeling well and then Finn, well, my brother doesn’t go out much now. Do you mind if I invite him?”
“Of course not. I think your mom will be really happy to have both of you there. What’s he like? Your brother, I mean.”
He glances at me and his lips tighten. “Never mind. I’m definitely not inviting him. He’ll spend the entire night hitting on you and then I’ll have to pound my own brother.”
Heat spreads through me at his possessive statement. After our disastrous beach date, I figured he wasn’t interested anymore. I definitely wouldn’t have expected him to be jealous at the idea of his brother hitting on me. Why would he even care?
“I’m sure he won’t even notice me. Ivy’s the one who has men panting after her everywhere she goes.”
His gaze holds mine. “You have men panting. If you don’t know that, then you aren’t paying attention.”
I suck in a breath as his breath washes over my face. His eyes drop to my lips as he gets closer. Is he going to kiss me now? I lick my lips and his eyes immediately go to my mouth. Then he leans closer and grabs the helmet from my hands. He sits back, looking all together too satisfied considering that he’s gotten me all riled up. Then it dawns on me that he’s playing with me.
I adjust my bag and start walking up the driveway. When I turn around, he’s still watching me with a small smile.
“What?”
That smug smile gets even wider. “Nothing. I told you I’d get you to dinner one of these days.”
Then he starts the engine, drowning out any reply I would have made, and pulls off leaving me staring after him.
The next day, I’m completely distracted. Even Mr. Stevens notices when I call one of his longtime clients by the wrong name. Luckily we’re so busy today that I don’t have time to brood. Tank called this morning and offered me a ride to work but luckily Ivy was home. Seeing him first thing in the morning would have been too much. I need time to think without him there clouding my mind.
I only get out of the office to pick up a deli sandwich for Mr. Stevens. I don’t eat my own lunch until after three o’clock, a ham and cheese sandwich I threw together on the way out the door this morning.
When I take a bite, I discover that I didn’t put any mustard on the bread. I let out a disgusted sigh.
“I know that sound. Dating trouble?” Mr. Stevens puts a file on my desk and then leans against the wall.
“Not really. We’re not really dating.” I glance at him from the corner of my eye. He looks like a lawyer with his standard blue suit, red tie and strong jaw line. If his brown hair wasn’t thinning in the front, he’d look like an actor playing a lawyer on a crime drama. He’s always come across as logical, objective and fair. He’s the perfect person to ask for an impartial opinion about Tank. As far as I know, they don’t know each other outside of their professional relationship.
“It’s about Tank Marshall. I went on a date with him. And it was nice. Strange but nice. But I don’t have a lot of experience dating. You’ve been working with him for a while now. Does he come across as a decent guy to you?”
Patrick looks uneasy. “Look, kiddo. I can’t divulge information about my clients. You know that. But that family … just watch yourself, Emma. You’ve had a rough year and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Of course. Thanks, Mr. Stevens.”
He nods and then disappears back into his office. Well, that tells me absolutely nothing. Since Patrick can’t tell me anything and I have nothing else to go on, I’ll have to use my own judgment here. What’s the big deal? I’m just supposed to be friendly to the guy and then put in a good word for his dad. I shouldn’t have to know his entire background to do that. But as I pack my things to leave for the day, I know I’m just fooling myself. I want to know more about Tank for reasons that have nothing to do with Maxwell Marshall or his insane job offer.
I want to know him because I’m attracted to him. Which is the number one reason I need to stay far away.
As if my thoughts have conjured him, Tank comes through the door at five minutes before closing time. He’s wearing the same beat-up leather jacket he had on a few nights ago at the club. His dark hair is spiked up at the top but not in a metrosexual I use hair product kind of way. This looks more like he’s growing out a buzz cut and his hair hasn’t figured out which direction is down yet.